


Fade Away

by MinewtInParadise (JadenR5Fam)



Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: M/M, first chapter is premaze, harriet's only in there for a tiny bit, the rest is in the glade, the title is horrible but i swear the fic's good, this hurt like fuck to write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-04-23 00:25:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4856216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadenR5Fam/pseuds/MinewtInParadise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They meet at age 8; they're best friends at 10. They're together at 12; and at 14 they lose it all with their memories.<br/>Starting over is the last thing they'd ever wanted, but will it truly change them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> kay lemme just make it clear that they're kids in this and whatever feelings they may express may not be "real" according to adult standards but they sure as hell think they are so don't shit on me for having 13 year olds say "I love you"  
> and they get to swear bc obviously the glader slang wouldn't exist quite yet

** Age 8 **

 Newt sits alone at a table, watching the other kids. They’re all gathered around Minho, who’s being loud and joking around. Everyone laughs as he makes fun of the WICKED employees, among other jokes. Then suddenly there’s a part in the crowd, and Newt sees Minho coming towards him. At first he’s scared, because if any other kid here intimidates him, it’s Minho, but he sees Minho smiling and raising a hand up to greet him, and his fear fades away.

 “Hi.” Minho says. “I noticed you were over here all alone, and I thought you might like a friend. I’m Minho.”

 “I know…” Newt says quietly. “Everyone likes you.”

 “Well, I like you. What’s your name?”

 “I’m Newt.”

 “Why do you talk like that?” Minho asks, confused about Newt’s accent.

 “My parents are- were from England. I was born there. So was my sister. But we moved here not very long before the Sun Flares.” Newt replies, with a sad look on his face.

 “Oh. Cool. I like how you talk. And I don’t want you to be sad. What’ll make you happy?”

 “I don’t know. I miss my parents. I don’t like thinking about them.”

 “I don’t like thinking about my parents, either. You know, they say we’re safe here, but I’m not sure I believe them. I don’t like these people.” Minho says, shaking his head.

 “I don’t like them, either, but at least we have a place to live, and food.”

 “Yeah. And now you have a friend.” Minho smiles again.

 “Yeah.”

 “So, what’s your favorite color?” Minho asks.

Newt hesitates for a few seconds, thinking about his answer. “I don’t know. I like blue. I miss the sky.”

 “I like green. I miss grass. And trees. And being outside.”

 “I wish we could have animals here.” Newt says. “I used to have a dog. Do you like dogs?”

 “Yeah. My friend had a dog. She was nice. What was your dog’s name?”

  “I named him Lightning. But my dad always said I should have named him Thunder, because his bark was so much worse than his bite.”

 “My friend’s dog’s name was Allie. She bit me once, but that was because I scared her. She was only a puppy.”

 “My dog never bit anyone in his life. I miss him, too. What if we never see a dog in real life again?” Newt asks, looking horrified

 “Then I’ll be sad.”

 “I don’t want you to be sad, either.” Newt says, and goes to hug Minho.

 Minho generally doesn’t like hugs, or any kind of touching, but he lets Newt hug him because he knows Newt needs it, too. He even hugs back. Sometimes people needed a hug to make them feel better. It wasn’t always going to work, but this time it seemed to.

 “Newt?” Minho asks.

 “Yeah?”

 “If you ever feel sad again, you can come find me. I’ll give you a hug if you need one.”

 “Thanks, Minho. I’ll give you a hug if you need one, too.”

 “Does this mean we’re friends now?”

 “Yes.”

 “Good.”

**Age 10**

 “I can’t believe you tripped him!” Newt exclaims loudly as soon as he and Minho enter their shared room. Recently, all the kids in WICKED’s custody had been moved around to new rooms. There were two kids to each room, and, as far as Minho and Newt knew, boys and girls were no longer allowed to share rooms as they had been able to. They didn’t have a problem with that though. They were just glad they were able to share a room.

 “I can’t believe no one noticed!” Says Minho.”I mean, I’m glad no one did, because I would have gotten in trouble, but I just can’t believe it.”

 At lunch, there had been a WICKED employee going around checking tables to make sure everyone was present. This particular WICKED employee had gotten on Minho’s bad side beforehand, so Minho decided to trip him as he went by. Right at that moment, Ben, who was sitting at the end of the next table over dropped something, and it was made to look like that was what had tripped the man, not Minho.

 “Do you think Ben did that on purpose?” Newt asks. “I think he was trying to help you out.”

 “I think he might have. I like him.”

 “I’m glad he did that. If you’d gotten caught I might have done something like said it was my idea. But I’m scared if I did that they’d separate us.”

 “Well, why would you say that, then? Especially since it had nothing to do with you at all. It was all my idea.”

 “Because. You’re my best friend. If you get in trouble, I’m in it with you.” Newt says as he sits down on one of the beds, dangling his legs off and swinging them back and forth.

 “I don’t want you to take the fall for me, or take responsibility for what I do. I’d rather be able to stick with you.”

 “Well, aren’t we best friends?”

 Minho goes to sit next to Newt and puts an arm around him. “Of course we’re best friends.” Minho grins. “But being best friends doesn’t have to mean taking crap for something your best friend did.”

 “It’s what it means to me. If they think it’s not just you, then they won’t punish you as harshly.”

 “They barely punish me as it is.”

 “You got punched in the face last week.” Newt says, with a tired look on his face.

 “That wasn’t authorized. He got in trouble. And he got tripped.”

 “Can you just try not to be so...flippant all the time?” Newt snaps, then looks like he immediately regrets it. “Sorry. I’m getting kind of scared for you. You never know what they’d do to you.”

 “Okay. But we can still cause trouble, right?” Minho says with a mischievous smile.

 “Of course.” Newt says, holding up a hand for a high five.

 Minho high-fives him. “Good.”

 “We’re gonna be a team, then?”

 “If you’re up for it.”

 “I am. As long as we’re careful.”

 “We will be.”

**Age 11**

 “Newt, you okay?” Minho asks from across the room. “You haven’t talked much in the past couple days. You’re not sick or anything, are you?”

 Newt is on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest. He lifts his head and brushes a bit of his hair, which is starting to get long, out of his face before turning to Minho. “Yeah. I’m fine. I’ve just been...thinking.”

 “For three days? I swear you haven’t said more than ten words a day for the past three days. I’m getting worried about you..” Minho looks like he doesn’t believe a word of what Newt just said. “That was the longest chain of words I’ve heard you say since Monday.”

 “Calm down; I’m fine. And it’s not like you’ve made many moves to try and talk either.”

 “Well, I’ve been thinking, too. I’ve got something to tell you. If I tell you what it is, will you tell me why you’ve been so damn quiet for the past three days? You’re not acting like yourself at all, and I want  to know why.”

 “Fine. You go first.”

 Minho hesitates for a few seconds and takes a deep breath. “Okay. This is kind of hard to say, or I would have told you earlier than this, but...I-I think I like boys. Like-like boys. I mean, I’m pretty sure I like girls, too, and I’m super confused, but still.”

 “You’ve got to be shitting me.” Newt says.

 “ _What?_ ” Minho asks, looking hurt and angry. “You better not be saying what I think you are.”

 “No, no no no! I didn’t mean it like that” Newt reassures Minho quickly, before things get ugly. “I said that because that’s what I was going to say. Only I don’t like girls. I only like boys. I didn’t want to tell you because I was scared you wouldn’t want to be my best friend anymore.”

 “Me, too. What are the freaking odds? For the record, though, I don’t judge people for stuff like that. I judge people by whether they’re an idiot or not. And you are most definitely not an idiot.” Minho gets up and goes to sit by Newt on his bed. “You’re my best friend, and if you think I’d judge you for something like that, you’re dead wrong.”

 “You were wrong, too.” Newt says quietly, with a smile.

 Minho lightly punches him in the arm. “I’m trying to reassure you, and you say that?”

 “I’m teasing. But...Minho. I’m scared of how people would react if I said anything.” Newt looks up; he’s clearly scared and upset. He moves closer to Minho.

 “Then don’t tell them. I’m not going to.”

 “Yeah, but it’s easier for you to hide. You like girls.” Newt puts his head on Minho’s shoulder. “Is this okay?”

 “Yeah.” Minho feels tears falling onto his shoulder, and he puts an arm around Newt. “What, and you think I’m just gonna be able to completely suppress any attraction I feel to boys when we’re around other people? Because I’m not. And if you go down; I go down. Remember?”

 “Of course I remember.” Newt says.

 Minho can tell that Newt’s crying from his voice, but he doesn’t say anything about it. He hates to see Newt like this, but he knows Newt’s probably been holding this in for a while. Newt is the kind of person that tends to bottle their feelings up and break over small things. Minho wishes Newt would just come talk to him, but, knowing Newt, he probably feels like he’d be a burden or something.

 “That agreement isn’t going anywhere. And you know there’s nothing wrong with you, right?”

 “Yeah, I know. That’s not it. I’m just so scared someone will find out. Like, someone from WICKED. What if they tried to do something to me? Or what if I slipped and told someone and they thought there was something wrong with me? It’s not like I chose this. Why would I want this?”

 “You wouldn’t. But, Newt. Promise me something. You have to start coming to me and talking to me when you’re upset. You bottle everything up; I can see it. I won’t judge you for anything. I swear. But you need someone to talk to. I’ll be your rock.”

 “I promise I’ll start letting things out more. I trust you.” Newt pauses for a second. “..Thanks, Minho. I needed that. All of it. But you played my usual role.”

 “‘Sometimes even the toughest people need someone to lean on.’” Minho says, repeating the phrase Newt says to him often. “You’re no exception.”

 “You know how a lot of the adults around here are always calling you an asshole?” Newt asks.

 “Mmm-hmm.” Minho replies, clearly proud of that label.

 “They couldn’t be more wrong.”

 Minho almost protests, because he likes that the WICKED guards dislike him, but he knows he shouldn’t. The fact that Newt, one of the sweetest kids he knew (even sweeter than little seven-year-old Chuck), thought he was nice and trusted him meant more than he could explain. They were in a world where everything had gone to shit; they had no families, no real homes, nothing to truly call their own. But Minho had one thing that meant just as much to him as all of that did:

Newt.

****  
  


**Age 12**

 “You’re staring at me again, Newt.” Minho says, not even bothering to look over.

 “What? I zoned out.” Newt says, lying through his teeth.

 “This is the fifth time in the past hour. Sure that’s what it is?” Minho raises his eyebrows. He knows perfectly well that Newt is lying, but he’s not going to say anything. It’s usually best just to let Newt come to him for things like this.

 Newt starts to get flustered. “Yes!” He answers too quickly and immediately regrets it. “I’m sure.” He says in a much calmer voice.

 “Whatever you say, Newtie.”

 “I swear to _god_ if you ever call me that again I will kill you in your sleep.”

 “Sure you will, Newtie.” Minho says with a smirk.

 Newt runs straight over to Minho, fists out, ready to fight, but Minho grabs both of his arms just above the wrist so that he can’t move them. Minho’s grasp is gentle, but tight enough so that Newt can’t get out of it.

 “Damn it, Minho! Let me go!” Newt exclaims.

 “Make me.” Minho says with a smug look on his face. He pulls Newt down on top of him and rolls over so that he’s the one on top. He’s about to shift positions in case Newt tries to fight back, but is startled by Newt pulling _him_ down further.

 “Let go of my arms.” Newt demands.

 “No.”

 “I won’t fight. Trust me. Just let me go. You might regret it if you don’t. I know something you don’t think I know.”

 “Are you blackmailing me?”

 “No.”

 “Then what the hell are you doing?”

 “Let me go and you’ll see what I want.”

 “Fine.” Minho reluctantly lets Newt go. Not a second afterward, he feels Newt’s hands on the back of his neck, moving him closer, though with little enough force that Minho could resist if he wanted to. But he doesn’t want to, and he’s pretty sure Newt knows. By now, his face is only about an inch from Newt’s.

 Newt gives a questioning look. “Is this okay?”

 “Hell yes.” Minho says, and goes in for the kiss.

 The kiss is short, because it’s both Minho and Newt’s first, and neither of them know what they’re doing, but it’s sweet. After it’s over, they don’t say a word; they just smile. Minho puts his arms under Newt and pulls him up so that they’re both sitting up.

 “You knew.” Minho says. “You knew I liked you. How? You were way more obvious than I was.”

 Newt punches Minho in the arm. “Told ya I knew something you didn’t think I knew. You said a lot of things that clued me in. Pretty obvious.”

 “Yeah, well you were constantly staring at me. I think that’s more obvious.”

 “Maybe. But I’ve known you liked me for about four months. How long did it take you?”

 “I just figured it out like two weeks ago…” Minho admits. “It took you two months to figure it out for me. How long did it take me?”

 “‘Bout three.” Newt replies.

 “AWWWW. You win this round, child.” Minho says, pouting as a joke. He liked to flaunt the fact that he was older than Newt, even if it wasn’t by much.

 Newt rolls his eyes. “You are five months older than me.”

 “Shhhh. I’m still superior.”

 “You couldn’t even tell me you liked me.”

 “That is blatant hypocrisy!”

 “Shhhh. You wanna know something?” Newt lays his head down on Minho’s shoulder to distract him. Some of Newt’s hair falls onto his face, and Minho gently brushes it off.

 “Yeah. What is it?”

 “I don’t think I ever wanna kiss anyone but you. Ever.”

 “Well, I don’t ever wanna kiss anyone but you, either.”

 The two boys stay close for a little while longer, but soon they’re both tired and go to their own beds. They both agree they’re not ready to sleep in the same bed, even though it wouldn’t be sexual at all if they did. Not only because they’re young and don’t feel they’re ready, but because they fear being walked in on by a WICKED employee and separated.

 Newt lays in bed thinking about how glad he is he initiated that kiss. He doesn’t know where he’d be if he hadn’t. But he’s also glad he asked before he went in, because not only was consent important (which he knew very well), but he’d been scared he’d misjudged Minho’s feelings for him. If he had misjudged them and gone in for the kiss without asking, he’d never have lived it down. Thankfully, things worked out, and Newt couldn’t be happier.

 Minho is in bed wondering why he was ever afraid to tell Newt how he felt. Maybe it was just that he didn’t like talking about his feelings. It wasn’t because it wasn’t “manly” or “masculine”; he just didn’t like to do it. He could express his opinions on anything without any difficulty, but when it came to feelings it was hard for him. He’s just glad he managed to do it. It was prompted by Newt’s advance,  but if he hadn’t said anything, who knew what would have happened? He decided not to think about it, and to just go to sleep.

****  
  


**Age 13**

 “Are you talking shit about Newt?!” Minho exclaims in the middle of the dining hall. Every head turns toward him, from the kids to the WICKED employees.

 “I was just saying his hair is getting pretty long. Makes him look like a girl!” The boy Minho was yelling at replied.

 “You saying that’s a bad thing?” One of the girls comes up to join the fight. “Because I won’t hesitate to fight you.”

 “What’s your name and can we beat the crap out of him together if he keeps going?” Minho whispers to the girl.

 “I’m Harriet, and hell yes.” Harriet whispers back.

 Newt is still at the table, and he has his head in his hands, groaning loudly. “Can you stop fighting over me?” He asks. “I mean, fight him if he thinks “girl” is an insult by all means, but leave me out of it. Please.”

 “Well, if he wants to look like a girl, I guess that’s his choice. Not my fault he wants to be a girl so bad. No idea why he’d want to be one, though, since girls don’t seem to be able to do anything.” The boy replies to Harriet’s comment.

 Minho and Harriet looked around to make sure the WICKED employees are no longer paying any attention. When they see that no one’s looking but the other kids, they exchange a glance and go in for a double punch in the gut. They’re back at their respective tables before anyone can even respond.

 “What was that about girls not being able to do anything?” Harriet asks before anyone from WICKED can come close enough to hear her.

 “I like you.” Minho says from a couple of tables away.

 “You know I wasn’t doing it for Newt, right?” Harriet asks.

 “Yeah. You made that pretty clear. Still awesome.”

 “Thanks. Good on you for defending your...uh, Newt.” Harriet smiles. She clearly knows ‘friend’ isn’t the right word, but doesn’t want to use ‘boyfriend’, either.

 “God, are we that obvious?” Newt asks.

 “You’ve _been_ that obvious for months.”

 “Do you think the WICKED employees know?” Minho asks worriedly.

 “Some of them have to. But I don’t think the ones that would care know.” Harriet replies. “Don’t worry about it.”

 “Then why won’t they let us around each other when we’re not in our room?” Asks Newt.

 “If it was that important to them, you wouldn’t even still be sharing a room.” Says Harriet.

 “True.” Newt says and goes back to his meal.

 Later, Minho and Newt are back in their room.

 “You didn’t have to punch him.” Newt says.

 “I know. But he was attempting to insult you, and by doing that, he ended up insulting girls. Both not cool. He deserved it.” Minho replies as he changes into his pajamas, fully aware of Newt’s eyes on him.

 “Oh, I agree on that.” Newt replies, sitting down on his bed. “Come here.”

 Minho doesn’t hesitate, and goes straight over to sit by Newt. At this point, it’s habitual for him to put an arm around Newt when they’re alone. He’s careful not to do it when they’re around others, but there isn’t a time he won’t do it when they’re alone together.

 Newt turns towards Minho and they kiss. “Min?” he begins.

 Minho cuts him off. “Min? That’s a new one.”

 “Do you like it?” Newt asks nervously. He’d hate to start using a nickname that Minho didn’t like.

 “Yeah.” Minho smiles. “It’s cute.”

 “Okay, well, I’ve been thinking. We’ve been together for nearly a year now. Remember what I said after our first kiss?” Newt asks.

 “You said you didn’t think you’d want to kiss anyone ever again.”

 “Yeah. I didn’t think so then. Now I’m sure of it. Because I...I think I love you.” Newt confesses.

 Minho’s eyes widen. “Really?”

 “Yes.”

 “I love you, too.” Minho says, and goes in for another kiss. This one lasts longer, and is more driven by the emotion of the moment, but it’s still not long. “And I definitely don’t want to kiss anyone else.”

  Not long later, both boys are in their beds, lying there silently.

 “Hey, Min?” Newt asks quietly, not sure if Minho is still awake.

 “Yeah?” Minho is in fact still awake, and he doesn’t care how late it is. He’ll listen to Newt no matter when it is or what he’s talking about.

 “Do you think they’ll keep us here forever? Like, what are they gonna do with us?”

 “I don’t know. All I know is we’re supposed to help find a cure for the Flare. I don’t even know if that’s possible, though.”

 “Neither do I. If it’s been this long, who knows? I’m scared of what might happen to us, though.”

 “Don’t be. Whatever happens, I’ll be right there with you.” Minho says.

 This seems to calm Newt down for the moment, and he rolls over and goes to sleep. Minho, however, is now wide awake, worrying about their future. Whatever happens, he just hopes he doesn’t lose his Newt.

**Age 14**

  _“NO_!” Minho screams as they take Newt away. “ _WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU TAKING HIM?_ ”   No one will give him an explanation, and he’s infuriated. It takes four WICKED employees to hold him back from trying to get Newt back, and even then, they’re struggling..

 “Everything will be fine in the end, kid.” An employee says. It takes all of three seconds for Minho to punch him in the face, knocking him out.

 “ _I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOUR SHIT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM? NEWT! I LOVE YOU_.”  Minho screams at the top of his lungs.

 “ _I love you, too, Min._ ”  Newt calls, as he’s fighting his own battle to get away from WICKED employees.

 “I _asked_ you what you were doing to him.” Minho says, glaring at the closest WICKED employee. “Answer me _now_.”

 “You’ll know soon.” The woman replies.

 “I want to know now, jackass.”

  “I’m afraid we can’t tell you right now.” Someone else says, but that’s as far as they get before Minho kicks them. It wasn’t actually intentional that time, but apparently they thought it was. Minho feels a sharp pain in the back of his arm, and then he feels his consciousness draining away.

 When he wakes up, he has no idea where he is. He has no idea of _anything_. He’s lying on the ground of a large green area, surrounded by massive grey walls. There’s around 30 other boys there, as well, and they’re all around something large and metal that seems to be like a box or an elevator. He’s not the first one awake, either. He spots a tall boy with long blonde hair that looks about his age. The blonde boy is also waking up, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else awake. He goes over to talk to the other boy.

 “Hey. Do you have any idea where we are? Or what’s going on?”

 “No idea.” The boy speaks with an accent unfamiliar to Minho. “I don’t know a thing. I just woke up, and I can’t remember anything but my name. What about you?”

 “I can’t remember a thing besides my name, either. I’m Minho, by the way.”

 “I’m Newt.”


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

 It’s the morning after Minho woke up in the Glade, and he still doesn’t remember anything. He’d hoped maybe some of his memories would start to come back, but he has nothing. He knows his name, and he knows what things are, but he doesn’t know how he knows them or have any personal memories. He thinks there might still be a small chance of getting his memories back, but he’s not certain. He’s not certain about anything, really.

 By now, Minho has met most of the other boys. He likes a few of them, but none have really stuck out to him as much as Newt has. Newt made an impression on almost everyone within two hours of everyone waking up.

 “We don’t know why we’re here, or anything, really, but we can’t let that stop us from trying anything. We have to find a way to survive like this, and maybe eventually escape, if it’s even possible. We need to establish order and pull ourselves together. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I think we can do it. Does anyone wanna step up and take charge here? I’m not going to. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a permanent position. We could vote on a more permanent leader after we know more about what everyone’s like and how this’ll work.” Newt had stepped up and said this the previous day when everyone was talking about what they were going to do. Newt had also been one of the first ones to notice the huge doors in the walls surrounding them, though it wasn’t long before everyone else noticed them, due to the fact that they closed at night, making the ground shake.

 Now everyone is exploring the area or trying to find work to do to help get everything going. Minho himself is wandering around, trying to get a good idea of just how big this place is, and see what’s around. He sees where the animals are kept and finds that they have troughs, but no food in them. They have to be hungry. Minho knows that there has to be something for them, since there was food for all the boys when they arrived. Maybe eventually they’ll just be able to feed the animals from crops they grow, but as of right now, those crops aren’t ready. Not to mention none of the boys know what to do with them.

 Minho sees Newt not far away playing with the resident dog that had been found that morning, and goes up to him. “Hey.”

 Newt smiles. “Hey. Look at who found me. He’s such a sweet dog. I love him already. But some idiot named him Bark.” The smile leaves Newt’s face, and the only word that can describe his current expression is ‘done’. “I could have done better than that. He deserved a better name than that. But I guess his name doesn’t really matter since he’s such a good dog.”

 “Nah, it doesn’t. Speaking of animals, I think the rest of them have to be hungry, but they don’t have anything to eat. Wanna help me find something and feed them?” Minho asks.

 “Yeah. You think it’d be a bad idea if Bark came along, or no?”

 “As long as he stays clear of the bigger animals, he should be fine. Come on.”

 Minho and Newt look around for something to give the animals, with Bark tagging along close behind. It takes a few minutes for them to find anything, but it’s not long before they do, and Newt goes off to tell everyone where it is while Minho gives the animals food. He has no idea how much to give them, but he tries to judge what a good amount would be for them. He doesn’t want to give them too little, but he knows they can’t afford to waste this food.

 It’s not long before he’s fed all the animals, and goes off to do something else. He goes to the kitchens to see how many people are working in there; maybe he can help.

 It turns out that there’s only one boy in there, and he’s one that Minho hasn’t met yet. “Uh, hi.” He greets.

 “If you’re here to take food, get out.” The boy, who looks about Minho’s age, says.

 “Nah, I’m here to see if you need help. I’m Minho.”

 “I’m Siggy, and help would be great. Think you can peel some of these vegetables for me?”

 “Sure.” Minho grabs a knife and the vegetables pointed out by Siggy from the already fully-stocked kitchen. As Mihho works, he strikes up a conversation with the other boy, and soon decides that he likes him. Plus, if the last couple meals were anything to judge by, Siggy makes some pretty good food.

 However, this arrangement doesn’t last long. When Minho tries to light the stove, he somehow ends up setting his own sleeve (and a few other things) on fire, and gets sent out.

 “Please don’t come back.” Siggy asks. “You’re cool and all, but I’d like to survive till the next meal.”

 “So would I.” Minho says, with a sheepish smile. He looks at his wrist, and notices the mild burn on it from his sleeve being on fire. “Anyone have some bandages?” He calls out.

 “What’d you do?” Newt is the closest person around, and comes right over.

 “Set my sleeve on fire.” Minho admits, looking very embarrassed.

 “You bloody idiot. Come on. I know where they keep the bandages. I don’t know if I can actually bandage you up, but I can try if we don’t find anyone else.” Newt beckons for Minho to follow him.

 “Thanks.”

 “Mmm-hmm.”

 It turns out that there is someone else who can bandage Minho’s wrist, and Newt goes off to help with something else. Minho’s not sure why, but he almost doesn’t want Newt to leave. He understands there’s work to be done, but he wishes he could spend more time with Newt. He’d like to get to know him more.

 “Thanks.” Minho says when the other boy finishes bandaging him. He spends the rest of the day exploring and helping with various jobs.

 That night, all the boys gather in a circle. Someone figured out how to light a fire, and everyone is sitting around it. Minho is pleasantly surprised to find himself sitting next to Newt (who has allowed Bark to sit with him, though he’s carefully making sure the dog doesn’t go too close to the fire).

 Nick, the boy that stepped up last night to take the position of leader, gets up to make a speech while everyone is gathered together. “So, I know everyone is still trying to explore and try different things out, but I think we need to have specific jobs and specific people who do those jobs.We need to start working out who gets what job tomorrow. And we should probably send people out to see what’s behind those doors. I don’t want to force anyone to do it, so can I get some volunteers? I’d like for there to be at least five guys out there, and you all need to stick together, since we don’t know what’s out there. Who wants to do it?”

 Minho doesn’t hesitate to volunteer. “I’ll go!”

 A few other boys volunteer, including Gally, a boy that’s about a year younger than Minho, and Newt. Newt is the last to volunteer, but he doesn’t seem any less enthusiastic about it than anyone else.

 “Alright, we have our volunteers. You should all go as soon as the doors open in the morning, so you can be sure to get back before they close. Don’t go too far, but definitely pack a lunch. And no matter what, _stay together_.” Nick says.

 The next morning, Minho, Newt, Gally, and two older boys named Steve and Mike are standing outside the doors. They’ve just opened, and the boys are doing a last-minute check to make sure they have everything they’ll need. Once they’ve made sure they have everything, they set off.

 “Keep track of all the turns we make, all of you.” Mike says. “We don’t wanna get lost.”

 Minho mentally takes notes of all the turns they make. He’s silent, so he can remain in focus, until he notices Newt, who keeps looking around as if he’s nervous and clutching the knife he was given.

 “Newt, you good?” Minho asks.

 “Yeah, I’m fine. But I can’t help but feel like this place has more dangers than we know of. There’s gotta be something else here. I feel like I’m being watched, and I don’t like it.”

 “Guys, it’s a dead end!” Steve calls.

 It takes a few more dead ends, and many, many more turns for anyone to realize what they’re in.

 “Does anyone else realize what this is?” Mike asks, when they stop for lunch.

 “It’s a Maze.” Newt replies. “I don’t see what else it could be, with all these turns and dead ends.”

 “So, whoever put us here meant to trap us.” Gally adds. “At least until we can find a way out.”

 “ _If_ we can find a way out.” Minho says. He’s not certain they’ll be able to find a way out, but if they’re going to have people out here looking for one, he wants to be one of them.

 “I think we can.” Steve says, looking at Gally and how hopeless and upset the poor kid looks.

 “So, should we turn back now, so we don’t get lost? And so that we can get back and tell Nick what we found before the doors close?” Asks Mike,

 Everyone agrees, and the boys make their way back. One they’re there, they go to the first boy they can find, Alby, and ask him if he knows where Nick is.

 “Last I saw, he was over there somewhere.” Alby replies, gesturing towards the few buildings in the place.

 “Thanks. If you guys wanna stay out here and rest for a bit, I’ll go tell Nick about what we found” Steve says, and goes off without waiting for an answer.

 Gally and Mike also walk away, leaving Minho and Newt alone together.

 “Hey, Minho?”

 “Yeah?”

 “Did you have the same feeling I had out there? Like you were being watched? Or am I just crazy?”

 “No, it was really creepy out there. I definitely felt like someone, or something, was watching us. I wonder what it was.”

 “I don’t know if I want to know, to be honest.”

 “I think we’ll probably end up finding out. Pretty sure we’re gonna have to go back out there, and I want to be one of the people to do it.”

 “So do I.” Newt replies, to Minho’s surprise. “Maybe we could be partners. Like, running partners I mean.”

 “You had me at partners.” Minho says, and then realizes what he just said. He can’t believe he actually just said that.

 Newt only laughs in response. “Come on, Minho, we just met. Already trying to get me?”

 “That is nOT WHAT I MEANT.” Minho’s cheeks are hot and he’s pretty sure he’s cherry red by now.

 “You’re lying. I can tell.”

 “Okay, fine, I think you’re hot, but I was _not_ trying to pick you up. It’s been _one day_. Tell me you think higher of me than _that._ ”

 “I knew it!”

 “Newt. Were you bluffing?”

 “Will you be less angry if I tell you you’re hot, too?”

 “I...uh. Yes.” Minho doesn’t want to say it, but it’s true. “Are you serious?”

 “Yep.” Newt has already turned around and walked away, hiding his face, so Minho has no idea if that ‘yes’ was genuine, but he certainly hopes it is.

 Minho can’t stop thinking about his conversation with Newt for the rest of the day. He purposefully doesn’t sit next to Newt that night because he’s still embarrassed. Unfortunately for him, Nick announces who’s going to be trying out what jobs tomorrow, and he and Newt are in the same group. Minho only hopes that their earlier conversation won’t come up.

 The next morning, Minho and Newt are working at their assigned job, which was farming and working with the crops.

“So, what was that yesterday?” Newt asks, to Minho’s despair.

 “Me being awkward.”

 “Nah, it was cute.” Newt smiles. “And I was serious when I said you were hot. But I want you to know that I’m not gonna lead you on, and I don’t think we should be anything more than friends till we know each other a lot better.”

 “Oh, I know. I don’t even know why I said that first thing to begin with. But while we’re out here, we might as well talk and get to know each other. Even if it’s not for that reason, I have the feeling we’re gonna be stuck here a long time and we’re gonna wanna trust each other. Plus, they never said we couldn’t talk while we worked.”

 “Yeah, alright.” Newt agrees. “As long as we’re actually working. Go ahead, ask me something.”

 “What’s the most important thing to you right now?” Minho asks.

 “I don’t know. Protecting everyone, I guess. Establishing order, so we can survive even if we don’t find a way out. What about you?”

 “Uhhh. I think probably getting all this to work, and then finding a way out. I don’t wanna be trapped here forever. I don’t think I could stand it. Your turn to ask a question.”

  “How much do you hate what you’re doing right now? You look like you hate it.”

 “Well, my back hurts already and it’s hot, so a lot. But talking is making it easier. My turn now.” Minho hesitates for a moment, trying to think of a question. “...What’s your favorite color?”

 Newt laughs. “Wow. You’re like eight years old.” Newt waits a few seconds before answering, looking like he’s thinking about what to say. “I think I have to go with blue. Sky blue. I think it’s really calming.”

 “I like green.” Minho replies. “I don’t know why. Might be because I like being outside, around trees and grass and living things. Being inside places can make me feel trapped. I’ve felt that already in the time I’ve been here. But I think before long, I’m gonna feel trapped when I’m outside, too.”

 “I already do.” Newt says quietly. He doesn’t try to ask any questions after that, and Minho doesn’t press him to. They do talk a little bit more after a while, and share jokes with the other boys, but that’s the extent of it.

 It’s at this point that Minho decided finding a way out is now the most important thing to him. Not just because of Newt. He can’t be the only boy here who feels trapped. And Minho knows it won’t be too long before he himself feels trapped. Being trapped is an awful feeling, and it can lead to much worse things. Things that Minho can’t bear to think about, no matter who it is that does them.

 That night, all the boys are gathered together again. Newt has kept to himself for most of the night, and hasn’t spoken much, but Minho is up very animatedly telling the story of how he set his sleeve on fire the previous day.

 “So, I’m there, with the box of matches, and it’s pretty easy to figure out how to light them. So I light one, but I hold it too close to the tip and I burn my fingers. I end up dropping the match on the counter, and I think it goes out, but what I don’t see is this little vegetable oil spill on the counter. I don’t know if I did it or not, but it’s there, and of course, the match goes right into it. And whatever tiny bit of fire was left on that match catches on the oil, and then like half the counter is on fire. So, like an idiot, I just stand there and look at it. And I just get this burning sensation on my wrist, and I look down, and my sleeve is on fire. So I grab a towel and smother that, and then I have to put out the rest of it, too. But by now, Siggy has noticed and he’s helping me. And now I’m not allowed to cook anymore.”

 “That’s probably a good thing.” Someone says.

 “I almost wanna argue, but I know you’re right.” Minho says.

 “I saw someone step on a hoe earlier and smack themselves in the face with the pole.” Gally says. He doesn’t say who, and it’s not possible to discern who it was, because there’s more than one person who looks unamused.

 “I think Newt sicced that dog on Leo earlier.” A boy named Carl accuses. “He bit him a few times.”

 “I did not! If Bark bit him, he probably did something to Bark. Not that hard to figure out. Besides, I was working all day. How would I have done it?”

 “That’s what you _want_ us to think.” Gally says jokingly, making even Newt laugh.

 Minho looks around at everyone. They’re all joking and laughing or just talking. There are several conversations going on, but all of them are open for anyone to join. None of these boys have known each other for very long, but there’s a sense of community, and it almost makes being trapped here bearable.

 Not to say that Minho doesn’t want to get out of here if he can, but he hopes all of these boys get out, too. He doesn’t think he’d be able to handle it if he was here alone, and it’s most likely that none of the other boys would be able to, either.

 “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” Nick steps up. “I’ve been talking to Steve, and we think that tomorrow, some of you should go back out into the Maze. But, and I’m sorry to say this, we don’t want Gally back out there. He’s too young.”

 “But Minho and Newt are only a year or so older than me!” Gally exclaims.

 “We think you’d do best staying here. We don’t want to potentially lose someone so young out there. You should stay here and try some of the other jobs.”

 “Then why was I allowed out the first time?” Gally asked.

 “Because we didn’t know what was out there. Now we do, and we know you could get lost, but we don’t know what other dangers there could be. We wouldn’t want to lose someone so young out there.” Nick replies.

 Gally seemingly can’t think of a response to this, and glares. He’d get up and leave, but Nick is talking, and that would probably be a bad idea.

 ”We will, however, have Minho, Newt, Mike, and Steve go back out, if they agree to it. Instead of going in a group, though, you’re going to each be taking a new boy out there. There’s going to be four pairs of you, and, since there are four doors, there will be one pair to one door. Can I get some volunteers?”

 Four boys step up, and one of them asks a question:

 “Do our partners tomorrow have to stay our partners forever after that? What if we don’t work well together?”

 “After tomorrow, if you don’t work well together, you can switch.partners with whoever you want, as long as you take a path that at least one of you knows. Also, I’d like you to map the maze. We’ve found a large supply of paper and pencils in the small building over by the woods. You’re not going to be able to take any of it out there, but we found small notebooks that you will be able to take, so that you can take notes to create your maps. Any more questions, or is that it?”

 No one has any questions to add, so all the boys go back to their previous conversations. After a while, they start getting up and going to bed. Some go in one of the buildings, which the boys have started calling the Homestead, and others just move away from the fire to sleep somewhere else outside.

 Soon, Minho and Newt are the only two boys left by the dying fire. They’re across from each other, but Minho moves to sit next to Newt.

 “You okay?” Minho asks.

 “Yeah, I guess. I think this feeling of being trapped might be gettin’ to me. I‘m sure I’ll get past it.”

 “We might not be trapped for long, if we can find a way out of that Maze.”

 “It’s huge, though. What if we go so far into it that we can’t get back before the Doors close? What if it’s _that_ huge? I don’t want to be stuck here forever.”

 “Well, I don’t want you to be upset. I don’t really know what to say, though.”

 “Maybe we could just change the subject.”

 “Yeah, let’s talk about how amazing I look in this firelight.” Minho jokes, making Newt giggle. “It casts the perfect shadow on my already-perfect face. And look how it reflects in my eyes. It makes it look like there’s a little fire in them and- oh no! There _is_ a little fire in them! I’m burning! I’m burning!” Minho says, jumping up and comically overacting a response to being on fire.

 By now, Newt is crying from laughter. “You’re such an idiot.” He says, but there’s a huge smile on his face when he says it. It’s the biggest, most genuine smile Minho has seen from him yet.

 Minho continues to joke around with Newt to cheer him up, or at least distract him from why he was upset. After a little while, the fire has died down completely, and Newt is too tired to stay awake. He actually falls asleep while sitting up, and Minho has to catch him before he falls over.

 “Alright, I think I’m going to bed, then. Thanks, by the way.” Newt says.

 “Don’t thank me. I didn’t think anything of it.”

 Newt doesn’t say another word. Instead, he gives Minho a hug, and walks away to go to bed.

 Minho stays where he is for a few minutes afterwards. He thinks about the hug and how he doesn’t think he would have enjoyed it if it hadn’t been Newt. It was nice to hug Newt, but the other boy probably liked it more than he did. Newt had a smaller frame than Minho did. Minho had broader shoulders, and would probably have been able to swallow Newt in a hug if Newt wasn’t taller than him. It was nice to be able to hold him close like that, to comfort him, even briefly.

 But Newt had been right about waiting to be anything more than friends. Minho didn’t want that yet (even if he did think Newt was hot. And maybe, kind of liked him the _tiniest_ bit. Or liked him a lot…). What he wanted right now was to be Newt’s friend. He wanted to be there for the other boy, but not to put any pressure on him. They were fine as friends, and Minho would be fine even if they stayed just friends forever. He wasn’t worried about getting into a relationship at that point.

 What he _was_ worried about, however, was going back out into the Maze the next day. It was dangerous as it was, and he was going to have to take a new boy along on only his second time in the Maze. He had a feeling that Newt was right about something bad being out there, because he’d felt like eyes were on him, too. But he’d volunteered for this, and he wasn’t going to back out. No, he was going to keep at it and find a way out. That was what was most important to him now. Not order, not Newt, but finding a way out. He’d get everyone out of here if it was the last thing he did.

 And it was with these determined thoughts, that Minho fell asleep.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY IT'S BEEN LIKE TWO MONTHS

  It was morning now, and eight boys found themselves standing outside of the Maze. Minho found himself paired with Carl, the boy who had accused Newt of siccing Bark on another boy. Newt was paired with another boy named Max.

 The boys all checked to make sure they had all the supplies they’d need to map, and that they had food and water for breaks, and set off.

 “So, what do we do?” Carl asks almost as soon as he and Minho enter the Maze.

 “I’m sorry, were you not paying attention last night?” Minho snaps. “We run and write down where we turn so we can map it later. And don’t get lost.“

 “Have you been in this section before?” Carl asks.

 “No. Not that it matters. We didn’t go far in anyway.” Minho replies grudgingly. He doesn’t want to talk. He just wants to get this over with.

 “But how will we manage not to get lost?” Carl’s questions seem relentless to Minho.

 “By writing down where we turn. Are you not listening?” Minho tries to hide his frustration, but fails.

 “But-”

 “Do not. Ask me another question. For at least another five minutes.”

 Five minutes of silence pass. Then Carl asks another question:

 “So do you like anyone?”

 Minho wants to scream. “I will destroy you.”

 “So you do!”

 “I will. Destroy you. If you keep talking. We are wasting energy. Now shut up.”

  Meanwhile, Newt is having similar troubles getting along with his new partner, Max. Max had insisted on taking the lead and bossing Newt around, even though Newt was the one who’d already been in the Maze.

 “Max.” Newt says firmly. “Have you been in here before? No? That’s what I thought. I have, and I think it’d be better for you to listen to me.”

 “Like you know much more about it than I do.” Max says, glaring.

 “I know we’re being watched. And that it’s dangerous. And that you’re about to run into a wall.” Newt replies, looking completely unamused as he watches Max run straight into a wall,despite the fact that he’s hiding a laugh.

 “I’ll go back and tell Nick you punched me.” Max threatens.

 “No you won’t, because I’ll tell him you were trying to take charge and make me do all of the writing down turns when we’re supposed to be working together.”

 “I’m working, you’re working. We’re in the same place. Therefore we’re working together.”

  _Smartass,_ Newt thinks. He notices that Max is glaring at him. “Did I say that out loud?”

 “Yes. You did. And I’m telling Nick.”

 “What’s worse, me calling you a smartass, or you not doing your bloody job?”

 Max doesn’t reply, presumably conceding. Or planning Newt’s downfall. Whichever it is, it makes him quiet and compliant.

 Newt quite frankly thinks it’s  suspicious that Max so suddenly decides to cooperate, but as of right now, everything is working so he decides to keep his mouth shut.

 

 Minho and Carl go down to the little building that all the paper had been found in, which had been dubbed the Map Room, after getting back from running their section.

 “So how are we supposed to do this?” Carl asks.

 Minho sighs. “We’re supposed to make a map of the section we ran today. I’ll do it today, but you’re gonna have to get used to doing it, too.”

 Just then, Newt and Max burst in.

 “Minho!” Newt exclaims. “What section did we take when we all went into the Maze the first time?!”

 “Umm, the West one I think? Why?” Minho replies, confused.

Newt’s eyes widen.  “That’s the one I went in today. Do you remember how it looked? Because I’m pretty sure it was different than last time I went in there.”

 “I might be able to remember. If you show me your notes it might help. But I think a better idea would be to go into that section together and look. Maybe tomorrow, since the Doors will close soon. Oh, and we should tell someone about this.” Minho says.

 “Yeah.” Newt agrees. “Probably Nick.”

 “Alright. Just let me draw my map and we’ll go.”

 “Sounds good.”

 It’s not long before Minho and Newt are on their way to see Nick and tell him about the Maze changing. It takes them a few minutes to find him, but thankfully he isn’t busy when they do.

 “Nick!” Newt calls.

 “Newt, Minho. Can I help you?”

 “Uh, actually we needed to tell you something.” Newt says. “I went into the section of the Maze today that we explored before and it had _changed._ The walls weren’t in the same pattern. I showed Minho my notes and map and he agreed that it was different.”

 “I think we should switch up the running partners so I can go out there with Newt and make sure it’s really different tomorrow.” Minho adds. “I’d go back in now, but it’s too close to when the Doors close and I’d rather not get trapped out there.”

 Nick nods. “That seems like a good idea. Do any of the other boys who went out there know?”

 “Just our partners. There’s still four others we haven’t told.” Newt replies.

 “Tell them. But make sure no one else knows. We don’t want this getting out in case anyone latches onto it and loses hope.”

 “Gotcha. We’ll go tell them. And we’ll tell our partners we’re switching.” Minho says, starting to walk away.

 “Oh, and if Max tries to tell you anything about me, don’t listen to him. He was trying to take charge and not do any actual work, and he’s mad because I called him out on it.” Newt says before following Minho.

 They check the Map Room to see if any of the other boys are in there, and they find all six of the others.

 “Guys. We’ve got stuff to tell you. Listen up.” Newt says. “So, Mike and Steve will know that when we originally went into the Maze, we went in from the west entrance. Well, that’s the section I went into today and it had changed from when we went in before. I showed Minho my map and he agreed. So we’re gonna partner up tomorrow and go in the west entrance together to verify that. That means Carl and Max  have to go in to the...uh-”

 “North entrance.” Minho supplies.

 “North entrance tomorrow.” Newt finishes.

 “I think you just want an excuse to work with Minho.” Max taunts.

 “I think you’re an as-”

 Newt cuts Minho off.  “Shut up, Minho you’ll make it worse.” He says, choosing to ignore Max’s taunt. “So is everyone clear on what we’re doing tomorrow?”

 Newt waits to hear the chorus of yeses before continuing. “One more thing. Don’t tell anyone who isn’t a Runner about how the Maze changes, because they might latch on to that and lose hope that we’ll find a way out.”

 “Runner?” Someone asks, though Newt’s not sure who. “Did you just name our job?”

 “Apparently. I mean the name makes sense, right? Can we agree on that?” Newt asks.

 There’s another chorus of yeses.

 “There anything else we need to know?” Mike asks.

 “Not as far as I can think of. You can all go if you’re done, I guess.” Newt says, and leaves himself.

 Minho follows after Newt. “Newt, you did great in there. The way they all listened to you in there... you should be in charge of all of us.”

 “No, no. That’d be a better job for someone like Steve, or you. Not me.”

 “If everyone, or at least most of us, wanted you to do it, would you?” Minho asks.

 “I guess. But I don’t think they’d want me to.”

 “ _Please_. You’re a natural.”

 Newt smiles. “Thanks. So, how was your day?”

 “Awful. Carl would not shut up. It was ridiculous. I wanted to eviscerate him.”

 “Minho, you’re not allowed to eviscerate your running partner. Mine was pretty awful, too, though.”

 “I noticed.” Minho said, showing his clear disapproval of Max.

 “I still don’t appreciate what you said to him, though. Try and keep the peace around here, please.” Newt pleaded. He didn’t want Minho to mess anything up.

 “Okay, okay. But he was making fun of you.”

 “He was rude to me all day. I can take it.”

 “You shouldn’t  have to, though. You’re wonderful.” Minho said, getting it out quickly, before he regretted it.

 Newt blushed slightly. “Thanks.You’re pretty great, too. I’m gonna get something to eat. Wanna come with?”

 “Sure.” Minho says with a smile.

   The boys spend the rest of the evening together, talking and laughing and getting to know each other better.

 Minho finds that Newt is incredibly nice-even nicer than he thought. He also finds that Newt has an adorable laugh, and that he twirls his hair when he’s bored, or getting tired. His accent thickens when he’s tired, too. Newt also has a great sense of humor, similar to, but at the same time so much better than Minho’s.

 Newt finds that Minho is sarcastic, to the point that some people might consider him an asshole, but Newt doesn’t really mind it. It could be a coping method for being trapped, or it could be part of his personality. Doesn’t really matter. But what Newt also finds, is behind the sarcasm, Minho can be sweet when he wants to be. Minho almost constantly has to have his hands doing something, and he always sticks his tongue out when he laughs.

 Neither of the two boys notice how the other is paying such attention to them. Not that they would care if they did notice.They’re too busy enjoying their time together, not only because they find each other to be pleasant company, but because they’re finally getting to relax after a long day.

 That night, both Minho and Newt are some of the first to go to sleep. They pick spots near each other on the grass outside, since there’s not much room to sleep inside.

 “Hey, Minho?” Newt says softly a few minutes after they both lay down.

 “Yeah?”

 “Do you think we’d have met if we hadn’t been put into this place?”

 “I don’t know. I hope we would have.”

 “For all we know, we knew each other before, or we were like...fated to meet or something. It’s weird. It almost feels like this place was mean to throw off the universe or something.” Newt says absently.

 “Do you believe in fate?” Minho asks.

 “I dunno. It’s interesting, but I don’t really know how much I think it’s real. I do think even small choices can change the course of a day, or even your life, but I don’t know if I think there’s a path that everyone is meant to go on from the day they’re born. Am I making sense? I’m tired.”

 “You are. And I agree. Now go to sleep. We’ll need it for tomorrow.”

 “‘Night, Minho.” Newt says, already half-asleep.

 “‘Night, Newt.”

 The next morning, the boys wake up to find themselves holding each other. They had only been about a forearm’s length from each other the night before.

 “Uh. Hi.” Minho says, not knowing how to react.

 “Hi.” Newt is trying to hold back a laugh.

 “We didn’t go to sleep like this, did we?”

 “No.”

 “Weird. Can’t say I mind, though.” Minho says with a smirk.

 “I’ve been in worse situations. I’d rather wake up this close to you than to someone else.”

 “Like Max? Max seems like he might wanna wake up this close to you.”

 “Minho! Shut up.”i

 “No, really, he seemed almost jealous when he made that comment about you working with me.”

 “He was awful to me all day yesterday; I don’t really see that as a sign of attraction.”

 “True. Maybe it’s a cover-up.”

 “Minho. No.”

 “Okay, it’s not.” Minho is silent for a few seconds. “Hey, can you get off my arm? I’d kinda like to get up.”

 “No, I’m tired. I don’t wanna get up.” Newt says. “And I like your arm.”

 “You like my arm.” Minho shakes his head.

 “I’m tired. Stop judging me.”

 “What do I have to do to get you to get up?”

 “Kiss me.” Newt jokes.

 Without hesitating, Minho pecks Newt on the cheek, pulls his arm out from under Newt, and runs away as fast as he can.

 Newt is up after him within a second. “MINHO!”

 Minho runs until he gets tables in the area where they eat during the day. Then he stops and slows down so he doesn’t crash into anyone trying to get breakfast.

 It’s not two seconds before Newt is right there with him. “What was that?”

 “I just did what you told me to do.”

 “I didn’t expect you to actually do it!” Newt exclaims.

 “Well, it got you up, didn’t it?”

 “Fuck off.”

 “HEY.” Someone shouts. Minho is pretty sure it’s Alby. “No swearing! We’re not gonna swear here.”

 “Duck you.” Minho replies. He hears Newt giggling beside him, and an exasperated sigh from Alby.

 Not an hour later, Minho and Newt are down at the West entrance to the Maze making sure they have everything they need.

 “Ready?” Newt asks.

 “Fuck yeah!” Minho shouts, entirely too loud.

 As they run into the Maze, they both hear a distant “NO SWEARING!”

 “We need new swear words.” Minho says.

 “I vote ‘Duck you’.” Newt replies.

 “No. What if we blended words?”

 “Which words?”

 “Uhhh… I dunno. Think about it.” Minho says.

 They work for about an hour before taking a break of about five minutes to catch their breath and to drink.

 “Shit.” Minho says. “Apparently I’m an idiot and didn’t check whether I had a water bottle.”

 “I’ve got three. Wanna share? This one’s already open.” Newt offers.

 Minho smiles. “Thanks. Sure you don’t need it?”

 “Min, I’m not gonna make you watch me drink all day while you have nothing.”

 Minho grabs the bottle and takes a drink of the water. “Min?”

 “Do you like it?”

 “It’s cute. I can’t think of a nickname for you, though.”

 “I’m fine with that. Ready to go?”

 Minho is ready, and they set off.

 A few hours later, they stop for lunch. It’s quick, but they spend the whole time laughing and joking. Minho feels like he shouldn’t be surprised at how well they work together, but he is.

 Newt is just glad that he has a decent partner who actually works, and even gladder that it’s someone he enjoys being around.

 Towards the end of their run, they slow down slightly. Minho sees Newt, who looks almost hopeless.

 “Newt? Is there something you’re not telling me? Did it change?”

 “Oh, it changed. It’s not even the same as yesterday. What if it changes every day? What if it’s never the same? Will we ever find a way out?”

 Minho can’t stand to see Newt like this. “I’m sure we will. In fact, I bet you and I will be the ones to do it.”

 Newt smiles. “I hope so.”

 “So, did ya think of any new swear words?” Minho asks, in an attempt to distract Newt.

 “Maybe? What if we blended shit and fuck, and made ‘shuck’? It’s a real word, too, so it could throw Alby off.” Newt suggests.

 “I like it. Let’s tell everyone.”

 “Seriously?”

 “Yeah!”

 It’s not five minutes after the boys get back that Minho tells someone about Newt’s new word. It quickly spreads around, and, before long, boys are heard using it instead of the usual swear words.

 The best instance of its use, however, is when Newt trips over something that night when everyone is around the fire and shouts:

 “ _Shuck Finn_!”

 Everyone bursts out laughing, and Newt, even though he’s slightly embarrassed, is happy he could provide some entertainment.

 He goes to sit by Minho, who puts an arm on Newt’s shoulder and says nothing.

 Newt is surprised that Minho doesn’t have any sarcastic remarks to make about what just happened, but he’s not complaining.

 What’s even more surprising is that Minho doesn’t say another word at all until everyone leaves except for them.

 “Having a bad night?” Minho asks softly. “You don’t have to answer.”

 “I kind of am. I can’t stop thinking about how the Maze keeps changing. I’m scared…” Newt pauses for a moment. “I’m scared we’ll never get out.”

 “I am, too.” Minho admits.

 “You are?” Newt looks surprised.

 “Yeah. Who wouldn’t be? I’m not gonna make it worse for you by saying why, but I am scared. I’m sure we’ll be fine, though. We’ve got this. If anyone can find a way out, it’s us. Especially you.”

 “Me? More than you?”

 “Why not?”

 “I dunno. I guess there’s not really a reason to think it shouldn’t be me. But I’m not gonna say it will be.”

 “I know. But lemme tell you something, Newt. You’re shaping up to be one of the strongest people I know. You work hard, and you go out there every day even though it’s scary as hell.”

 “No swearing!” Newt jokes, smiling as he watches Minho laugh. Newt loves how Minho sticks his tongue out every time he laughs.

 “Duck you.” Minho replies, making Newt giggle. “Alright, well, I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.”

 “We’re running together again tomorrow, right?” Newt asks, just to be sure.

 “Right. I wouldn’t wanna work with anyone else.” Minho says, not because he likes Newt, but because it’s so easy to work with Newt. They make a good team, and getting out of here is Minho’s biggest goal. And maybe it is a partially because he likes Newt.

 This last statement from Minho brightens Newt’s night. It’s no magical cure for what he’s feeling, but it does help a little bit. He goes to sleep happily distracted, only hoping tomorrow won’t be as bad.

 


End file.
